Following a nationwide search, Utah State University named Jason Bray as its new police chief. Bligh will begin his shift on July 1.

Bligh has worked in law enforcement for 26 years, starting with the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona and transferring to the University of Arizona Police Department (UAPD) in 2000, according to Reuters. USU Police Chief Candidate Website.

During his time with the UAPD, Bligh gained some leadership experience, serving as Deputy Field Operations Chief, Corporal, Lieutenant, Commanding Officer, Deputy Chief, Interim Police Chief. He also completed his FBI National Academy in 2010.

The new police chief has won many awards throughout his career, including the 2023 Recognized Commander Award from the Arizona Police Chiefs Association.

“Brye provides USU with significant leadership experience in law enforcement in a higher education environment that can present unique challenges in policing,” said Mike Kuhn, Executive Director of the Department of Public Safety. . utah article of the day. “We look forward to working with him to make our university community as safe as possible.”

One of the first things Bligh plans to do when she comes to college is get involved with student bodies and listen to their concerns.

“I want to learn about both the faculty and the culture of the community. It gives you a glimpse and a snapshot from your discussions with people, from being there to being in the field,” Bly said.

The police chief also said he would “look for areas of need and opportunity” as he begins his university career.

Bligh said that while he was excited to start working at USU, he would miss the culture and people of the UAPD.

“I have a lot of relationships[there]. I was there for a long time and I miss it because it’s like memories, friends and family,” Bly said.

After leaving his old family at UAPD, Bligh said he was ready to devote himself to building a new family at USU and interacting with students as much as possible.

“As people look at us and people engage with us, those relationships continue to grow, building familiarity and trust,” Bly said.